22–30 November 2019
Mon-Fri: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 12–5pm
Monash University
Art Design & Architecture
900 Dandenong Road
Caulfield East, Victoria
Sam Merrick
I’m an industrial designer with a strong interest in electrical and mechanical design projects. I enjoy designing parts and products to solve problems and believe in designing for a sustainable future. It’s important to me when I’m designing to consider the broader process - from materials and manufacturing to assembly and the product life cycle.
Project Description:
Sunflower builds on the open source tools and software from the Farmbot CNC farming experiment. It aims to make CNC backyard food production more economical and accessible for people who are interested in supplementing their diet with home grown vegetables. It can be used to easily repurpose thirsty lawns in urban backyards into large, low maintenance autonomous vegetable gardens. If widely adopted, this concept could help reduce our reliance on unsustainable broad-acre agricultural practices, and even serve as an educational tool in schools or the community.
Contact email: samuel.leroy.merrick@gmail.com
Project Description:
Sunflower builds on the open source tools and software from the Farmbot CNC farming experiment. It aims to make CNC backyard food production more economical and accessible for people who are interested in supplementing their diet with home grown vegetables. It can be used to easily repurpose thirsty lawns in urban backyards into large, low maintenance autonomous vegetable gardens. If widely adopted, this concept could help reduce our reliance on unsustainable broad-acre agricultural practices, and even serve as an educational tool in schools or the community.
Contact email: samuel.leroy.merrick@gmail.com
Sam Merrick, Sunflower
The Sunflower can be staked into the middle of any plot of land with a garden hose connected to the central pivot.
Sam Merrick, Sunflower
Different tool heads can perform a variety of tending tasks - from sensing soil moisture and watering accordingly, to planting seeds and weeding the plot.
Sam Merrick, Sunflower
The Sunflower pivots from the center stake at a chosen height, interplanting in a spiral pattern at user defined intervals. After the initial set up, the entire tending process is autonomous.